As if taking care of an infant with a cold wasn’t tricky enough, finding a way to bring yourself back to health while tending to a little one may seem impossible.
There are a few ways to sneak in some relaxing moments though, provided you’ve got the essentials. Before the cold season hits, take stock of your cold rescue items. Make sure you’ve got products that include cough drops, tea, honey, lemons, tissues, hand sanitizer, and a few pairs of comfy pajamas or lounge clothes.
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When you feel a cold coming on, take great care to keep your germs to yourself.
It’s much easier to get through the illness when the baby is sleeping soundly at night and for naps. One way to stop the cold sharing is to always wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or simply using a tissue.
Sometimes it is difficult to just get up and run off into another room to wash, who knows what trouble the baby would get into while you’re gone! Keeping small bottles of hand sanitizer next to tissue boxes in strategic places throughout the house will help. This way, after each tissue use you can easily sanitize your hands.
Drink lots of fluids.
Drinking fluids will aid in loosening congestion which will help you heal faster. Hot tea is a great way to soothe the soul while getting sufficient hydration. Safety first! Never drink a hot beverage around an infant. Spills happen to the best of us and a hot beverage could cause a burn injury to the baby. This would be a great opportunity to utilize baby’s swing, jumper, or exerciser.
While the baby is playing, sit back and enjoy a hot cup of tea. When preparing your tea, add a squeeze of lemon juice for added vitamin C, and a bonus, lemon soothes a sore throat. Honey also soothes and is a great sweetener. Let’s not forget plain water, it’s a natural decongestant. Add a squeeze of lemon into your water for added vitamin C as well.
Try to keep your days on the quiet side until your energy is back up again.
If you’re lucky, your baby will enjoy cuddling and snuggling with you. Grab a dozen or so of your baby’s favorite books, cough drops, tissues, and hand sanitizer for you, and snuggle together under a blanket for story time. Your baby will love the one on one attention and your body will be able to rest a bit.
If reading becomes too difficult, settle down for an educational DVD or simply turn the pages of a picture book and let baby “read” to you. This is a great way to see how baby copies gestures or points out certain objects in a picture that she is familiar with from being read the story before.
Don’t push yourself to accomplish all the normal household chores, unless of course, it will boost your spirits. Decide which path will set you at ease and choose that path. There is no “Gold Medal Fairy” flying around town handing out shiny awards for the cleanest, most organized home.
Now is certainly not the time to push yourself to your limits. There are some moms out there that would just go crazy thinking of all the chores to be done and not be able to rest at the sight of dirty dishes or laundry. For those moms out there, go for it. The idea is to keep your mood light and boost your spirits for a quick and healthy recovery.
With all the luck in the world, you’ll reach full recovery quickly and remove all those pesky cold germs from the house before the rest of the family catches them. And if those germs decide to take up residence in your home for a while longer, when they do finally leave it’s time to celebrate.
You deserve it!
